Improvement in grain-separators



UNITED STATES PATENT OEELGEo KILIAN scEwAE, oE LEBANON, iLLrNors.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAINSEPARATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,767, dated July 7, 1874; application filed May 5, 1874.

To all whom yt may concern:

Be it known that I, KILIAN SCHWAB, of Lebanon, in the county of St. Clair and State oi' Illinois, have invented an `Improved Grain- Separatoigof which the following is a specificat-ion:

This invention consists in a vertical cylinder of one or more sections, each successive sectionvupward being of a larger diameter, and surrounding the top of each section is a settling-chamber, each of which has a valve-discharge. To unite the cylinders, the lower edge of each successive upper section is\pro vided with a iianged cap, tit-ted to cap and unite withthe settling-chamber of the section beneath. The grain is fed through a hopper into the lowest section, and is at once subjected to a separating action by a suctional current of air produced by a fan attachment at top of the machine. The heaviest and best grain gravitates below, while the lighter and inferior grain is forced and carried up by and with the suction. As the suction or air current becomes weaker from the enlarged dialneters of each upper section, the separation of the grain is consequently eii'ected at different stages, and deposited through the annular space left open (by the enlarged diameter aforesaid) into the diEerent settling-chambers presented. There are also certain detail iniprovements, all ot' which will now more fully appear.

0f the drawing, Figure l is a sectional ele vation, Fig-..2 aside elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan view, ot the sections. v v

. As stated in the nature oi my invention, I form the same to' consist of one or more cylindersections, A B C being here shown. The cylinder can be of sheet metal, or of glass, or metal with glass windows. The diameter of each successive cylinder-section in the order of ascent is greater; thus I3 is larger in diameter than the lower section A, and C larger than B, &c., as shown in` the iigures. The lower section, A, I i'orm to have an inclined feed-hopper, Al. This has a seltlacting valve, a, (see Fig. 1,) which closes and prevents the outside air from. entering'- at the time the grain is fed/through saidhoppcr. Also, I provide the hopper Al to have a further valve, al, operated by its handle from without, and by means whereof the operator can regulate the passage and guide the grain into the tube to be acted upon by the suction current. I prol vide the interior ot' the section A, near its lower edge, with an annular projection, a2, V-shaped, as shown in Fig. l. gravitating downward, strikes and passes over the upper face of said projection, and rebounds from it into the suction-blastfwhere.it is again caught before its final eXitand thus whatever light grain is still unseparated, is subjected to a further'action of being' carried upward with the suction force. The under face of the projection a2 directs to the center the suction force at bottom of the section A.

-Each section A B C, at top, I provide with a surrounding settlingchamber, A2 B C', as shown in the iigures. The settling-chambers D D1 D2., preferably of metal, have inclined annular bottoms formedV as dan ge on the outside, near the 'upper ends ot' the cylindrical sections, as indicated inthe 1i gures. The light grain flying upward vwith the blast is caught in these annular chambers, the inclined bottoms of which allow it lto slide out by the valveopenings a3 c, Figs. 1 and 2. To unite the cylinder-sections A B C, I further form each top section, B C, 85e., at its lower end, to have a tlangecap, l) 'D1 D2, iitted to cap and close the top of each settling-chamber A2 B' C', as shown in Figs. l and 2.

Thus united, it will be noticed that the larger and larger diameters of the successive sections B (l leave or create an open space, as shown at d, Figs. l and 3, through which the grain passes, and is deposited into the settling-chambers.

A proper i'an attaclnnent will be over the top section ofthe separator, so as to produce, by itsl operation, av suction-blast through the interior and out ot' the machine.

Thus constructed7 the operation of' the parts described is as follows: As the grain is fed through the hopper A1, it is caught by the suction force produced by the fan at top. The lighter grain is thus separated by said suction Iforce and with it carried upward, the heavier grain gravitating out below. The grain passing the iii-st settling-chamber, it' it be of such weight and quality as not to be further acted upon by the suction-blast, by its tendency is The orain j carried sidewise or out of current and made to pass and drop through the annular opening d into said rst settling-chamber.

The grain in this first chamber is, therefore, of the second grade compared with that grain deposited from below, and so on, each higher settling-chamber determining` the grade and quality of its contained grain.

The enlargement of the diameters of the upper cylinder-sections proportionately decreases or weakens the suction force, and the better adaptation is thus produced to suit the suction to the nature of the grain.

What I claim is- 1. A grain-separator consisting of one or more cylindrical sections, the diameter of each lupper section being larger than the lower, and having annular settling-chambers for the reception of the different grades of grain, substantially as herein shown and described. 2. Que or more tubular sections, A B (5,'

havin g settling-chambers A2 B C and anged caps D D1 D2, arranged and constructed to operate as set forth.

3. The annular chambers A2 B C', Src., in combination with cylinder-sections A B G, as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. The cylinder A, having settling-chambers A2, feed A1, provided with valves a al, and the annular projection a2, in combination with an upper cylinder-section, B or O, &c., having settling-chambers B or C at top, and hanged cap Dl D2 at bottom, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony of said invention I have hereunto set my hand in presence of witnesses.

ICILIAN SCHWAB. 

